1,3-Propanediol (also hereinafter termed “PDO”) is a monomer useful in the production of a variety of polymers including polyesters, polyurethanes, polyethers, and cyclic compounds. Homo and copolyethers of polytrimethylene ether glycol (hereinafter termed “PO3G”) are examples of polyether polymers. The polymers are ultimately used in various applications including fibers, films, etc.
Chemical routes to generate 1,3-propanediol are known. For instance, 1,3-propanediol may be prepared from:                1. ethylene oxide over a catalyst in the presence of phosphine, water, carbon monoxide, hydrogen and an acid (the “hydroformylation route”);        2. the catalytic solution phase hydration of acrolein followed by reduction (the “acrolein route”).        
Both of these synthetic routes to 1,3-propanediol involve the intermediate synthesis of 3-hydroxypropionaldehyde (hereinafter also termed “HPA”). The HPA is reduced to PDO in a final catalytic hydrogenation step. Subsequent final purification involves several processes, including vacuum distillation.
Biochemical routes to 1,3-propanediol have been described that utilize feedstocks produced from biological and renewable resources such as corn feed stock. Such PDO is hereinafter referred to as “biochemical PDO” or “biochemically-derived PDO”. For example, bacterial strains able to convert glycerol into 1,3-propanediol are found in e.g., in the species Klebsiella, Citrobacter, Clostridium, and Lactobacillus. The technique is disclosed in several patents, including, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,633,362, 5,686,276, and, most recently, U.S. Pat. No. 5,821,092, all of which are incorporated herein by reference. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,821,092, Nagarajan et al. disclose, inter alia, a process for the biological production of 1,3-propanediol from glycerol using recombinant organisms. The process incorporates E. coli bacteria, transformed with a heterologous pdu diol dehydratase gene, having specificity for 1,2-propanediol. The transformed E. coli is grown in the presence of glycerol as a carbon source and 1,3-propanediol is isolated from the growth media. Since both bacteria and yeasts can convert glucose (e.g., corn sugar) or other carbohydrates to glycerol, the process of the invention provided a rapid, inexpensive and environmentally responsible source of 1,3-propanediol monomer useful in the production of polyesters, polyethers, and other polymers.
Precipitations (e.g., with 1,2-propylene glycol, as well as carboxylates or other materials) have been used since the early 1980's to separate the colored and odiferous components from desired products (such as enzymes) to obtain purified preparations. Precipitating the high molecular weight constituents from the fermentor liquors, then bleaching these components with a reducing agent (DE3917645) is known. Alternately, microfiltration followed by nanofiltration to remove the residual compounds has also been found helpful (EP657529) where substances with a high molecular weight above the size of separation are held back. However, nanofiltration membranes become clogged quickly and can be quite expensive.
Various treatment methods are disclosed in the prior art to remove color precursors present in the PDO, however, the methods are laborious, expensive and increase the cost of the polymer. For instance, Kelsey, U.S. Pat. No. 5,527,973, discloses a process for providing a purified 1,3-propanediol that can be used as a starting material for low color polyester. That process has several disadvantages including the use of large equipment and the need for dilution with large quantities of water, which are difficult to remove from the product. Sunkara et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,235,948, discloses a process for the removal color-forming impurities from 1,3-propanediol by a preheating, preferably with heterogeneous acid catalysts such as perfluorinated ion exchange polymers. The catalyst is filtered off, and the 1,3-propanediol is then isolated, preferably by vacuum distillation. Preparation of polytrimethylene ether glycol from purified diol gave APHA values of 30–40, however, the molecular weight of the polymers were not reported.
The polyalkylene ether glycols are generally prepared by the acid-catalyzed elimination of water from the corresponding alkylene glycol or the acid-catalyzed ring opening of the alkylene oxide. For example, polytrimethylene ether glycol can be prepared by dehydration of 1,3-propanediol or by ring opening polymerization of oxetane using soluble acid catalysts. Methods for making PO3G from the glycol, using sulfuric acid catalyst, are fully described in U.S. Patent Application publication Nos. 2002/0007043A1 and 2002/0010374A1, all of which are incorporated herein by reference. It should be noted that polyol synthesis conditions largely determine amounts of impurities, color precursors, and color bodies formed. The polyether glycol prepared by the process is purified by the methods known in the art. The purification process for polytrimethylene ether glycol typically comprises (1) a hydrolysis step to hydrolyze the acid esters formed during the polymerization (2) water extraction steps to remove the acid catalyst, unreacted monomer, low molecular weight linear oligomers and oligomers of cyclic ethers, (3) a base treatment, typically with a slurry of calcium hydroxide, to neutralize and precipitate the residual acid present, and (4) drying and filtration of the polymer to remove the residual water and solids.
It is well known that the polytrimethylene ether glycol produced from the acid catalyzed polycondensation of 1,3-propanediol has quality problems, in particular the color is not acceptable to the industry. The polymer quality is in general dependent on the quality of the raw material, PDO. Besides the raw material, the polymerization process conditions and stability of the polymer are also responsible for discoloration to some extent. Particularly in the case of polytrimethylene ether glycol, the polyether diols tend to have light color, a property that is undesirable in many end-uses. The polytrimethylene ether glycols are easily discolored by contact with oxygen or air, particularly at elevated temperatures, so the polymerization is effected under a nitrogen atmosphere and the polyether diols are stored in the presence of inert gas. As an additional precaution, a small concentration of a suitable antioxidant is added. Preferred is butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT, 2.6-di-t-butyl-4-methylphenol) at a concentration of about 100–500 microg/g (micrograms/gram) polyether.
Also, attempts have been made to reduce the color of polytrimethylene ether glycols by conventional means without much success. For instance, Morris et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2,520,733, notes the peculiar discoloration tendency for the polytrimethylene ether glycol from the polymerization of PDO in the presence of acid catalyst. The many methods they tried that failed to improve the color of polytrimethylene glycols included the use of activated carbons, activated aluminas, silica gels, percolation alone, and hydrogenation alone. Consequently, they developed a process for the purification of polyols prepared from 1,3-propanediol in the presence of acid catalyst (2.5 to 6% by weight) and at a temperature from about 175° C. to 200° C. This purification process involves percolation of the polymer through Fuller's earth followed by hydrogenation. This extensive purification process gave a final product that was light yellow in color, in fact, this procedure yielded polytrimethylene ether glycol (Example XI therein) for which the color was only reduced to an 8 Gardner color, a quality corresponding to an APHA value of >300 and totally inadequate for current requirements.
Mason in U.S. Pat. No. 3,326,985 discloses a procedure for the preparation of polytrimethylene ether glycol of molecular weights in the range of 1200–1400 possessing improved color by vacuum stripping, under nitrogen, polytrimethylene ether glycol of lower molecular weight. The color levels, however, are not quantified and would not have approached the above requirement.